Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy are to meet representatives from the private security sector and the main banks today to express their concerns over recent cash delivery robberies. Conor Lally reports.
The talks at the Department of Justice were called following the robbery yesterday of up to €2.4 million from a Brinks Allied van in Dublin after its two-man crew made an unscheduled stop to buy takeaway coffee at a petrol station before meeting its Garda and Army escort. The robbery sparked a major row between the Government and gardaí and those involved in the private security industry.
Referring to the stop for coffee which led to it, Mr McDowell said it was "not acceptable in this day and age". He added: "Either they are in business to do this job in a professional way or they are not."
Mr McDowell insisted those operating in the sector needed to maintain levels of professionalism expected from companies moving large sums of money.
Gardaí believe an armed gang was waiting at the coffee stop at the Maxol station on Skelly's Lane, Artane. When one crew member got out to buy coffee he was ordered back into the vehicle by one of the armed gang.
He and the van driver were ordered to bring the vehicle to Killester United's ground off the nearby Howth Road. There, it was met by up to three other members of the gang.
The money was unloaded into a white Transit van and the gang left in this vehicle and a blue 4X4 sports utility vehicle. The robbery took less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
The hold-up followed the robbery two weeks ago of €2.2 million from a Securicor van in Dublin after the Richardson family from Raheny was kidnapped by armed raiders.
Kevin McMahon, a Siptu official from the union's security branch, said yesterday's robbery took place as a result of a "cock-up".
"A transfer of money down to the country would regularly have a Garda/Army escort and that particular escort was not at the Clonshaugh base when that crew left [the Brinks Allied depot in Clonshaugh]," he said.
Supt Kevin Donohoe, head of the Garda press office, insisted the Brinks Allied van was scheduled to meet its escort in the city centre. The escort, made up of Garda and Army personnel, was waiting at Foster Place as arranged, but the Brinks Allied van did not turn up, he said. Garda sources last night said the stolen money had been collected by Brinks Allied from a city centre bank on Tuesday night, and not on Wednesday morning when the armed escort was available, in order to facilitate officials at that bank. However, escorts are assigned after Garda risk-profiling and it would not be unusual for a van carrying €2.4 million to go about its deliveries unescorted.
Representatives from the Private Security Authority will be at today's talks.